User blog:Daburu/BT03 Story
Breakdown Day --Humanity has experienced multiple encounters with Foreigners from parallel worlds over the span of months and years. Gods and angels, demons, beasts, evil nature spirits... These encounters will eventually make their mark in history, being passed down to the next generation in the form of myths, legends, and fairy tales. We can only know and learn from the past. In other words: we neither know nor can be affected by the future. Numerous parallel worlds exist in this universe. Of course, there are parallel worlds among them that remain a mystery. --The parallel world Tritomy. It is a cyber world where no organic lifeforms exist. Its inhabitants are machines created by advanced scientific techniques. They have their own will with the implementation of A.I., and move by way of the infinite electricity that perpetual motion produces. Who built this world? That is not recorded in Tritomy's history. After all, the history of the world as well as its inhabitants are mere data, and can be freely rewritten by rationalism. Everything is a fabrication, and fabrication is the truth of the world -- that is Tritomy. However, unknown concepts still came forth on the standardized world of Tritomy. There was a single source of foreign contamination on this world where there were no organic lifeforms. It was a vast number of data cards that someone had brought into Tritomy in the past. On them was data about the mysterious parallel world of Septpia, which was filled with organic lifeforms. Tritomy's world government spent many years analyzing the mechanisms of the humans living on Septpia through this data, but there was a complete mystery that they could not explain rationally. That was the concept of the human "soul". Through the cyber world's network, the concept of "soul" spread quickly, and Septpia's existence became the point of interest for the machines of Tritomy. Tritomy's world government feared a collapse of the standardized world and thought to seal and erase all ideas related to Septpia, but it was already too late. It would be nigh impossible to erase the records that had infinitely multiplied through the vast network. And in the present day -- the "Airline 999" passenger transport company in the Tritomy β-999 Sector discovered a Gate Card in a corner of town. They began to offer trips to Septpia for the machines interested in Septpia. There were many reasons for the machines of Tritomy to go to Septpia. Some simply wanted to see the sights. Some wanted to do a technical investigation on the organic lifeforms. The most important growing concern was research involving Gates. How and why are Gates formed? What is the meaning of the Gate mechanism that connects parallel worlds. And so the curtains opened on a new era for Septpia. The arrival of Foreigners from Tritomy, which had almost magical scientific techniques, was the subject of much interest and fear. There were no peacekeeping problems involving the Foreigners who came for sightseeing, so the ALCA global headquarters decided to establish friendly relations. Eventually some Logicalists became interested in the unknown Tritomy Foreigners, and began to befriend them. However, not all of the Foreigners were amicable. As they did not understand the value of life, there were many who conducted rough investigations by Trance Jacking Septpian citizens, and so ALCA needed to take measures. The Tritomy Foreigners' investigation included temples worshipping "soul", thus there were frequent destructive actions taken by wild Foreigners. Leaning of this, Disfia sent influential personages to help out Septpia. Every ALCA branch received the cooperation of amicable Tritomy and Disfia Foreigners, and Logicalists were thrown into the fray in order to protect cities. The people became historical witnesses to the unimaginable technologies of Tritomy. And at the same time, the existence of the cyber world Tritomy was recorded in a new page of Septpia's history. That is not all. In their encounters with Tritomy, the Logicalists were guided to an immense destiny. This was the discovery of a new truth related to the Gates. The Foreigners of Tritomy, endowed with scientific CPU, sent a top-secret report of their findings to ALCA. "Confidential: Regarding the Multidimensional Link Between Every Life-Form and Gates". Just what significance did this report hold... That could neither be known nor learned from the past. However, we know from the future and gained the ability to learn from it. That ability will surely change our preconceived notions greatly in time... TL comments: *''Finally some lore on Gates! A truly pleasant surprise! *''Nice to hear that the Foreigners are just curious rather than malicious. Hope that blurred distinction between good and bad is also present with the ALCA Foreigners. Trouble Girl (Tamaki & Cure) Before Tamaki became a Logicalist, she planned to become a doctor specializing in Paradox Sick. The one who resonated with this Logic of hers and was chosen to become her new Covenantor was Cure 119. Cure was an armed mecha nurse dispatched to ALCA from Tritomy to hold back damage across Septpia, mainly as part of a civilian relief expedition team. Developed to save lives on the battlefront, so naturally she was equipped with all sorts of medical instruments. She was also equipped with weapons to escort her patient in case of an emergency. Tamaki and Cure's Covenant was recognized by all as highly compatible -- or at least, should have been. That day, Tamaki and Cure rushed to the scene to save a Paradox Sick patient suffering on the battlefield. "Cure! Let's Trance!" "OK! I'm being of use to everyone!" Once she began to approach Tamaki, though, Cure stumbled on the ground. Without thinking, she put her hand out to Tamaki's chest to catch herself. "Hey! Where are you touching!?" "S-Sorry...! I didn't calculate the terrain under me!" It was just plain old ground at Cure's feet... Tamaki didn't say anything more, collecting herself and Trancing. She could help the injured person. With her inherent medical knowledge and skilled use of Cure's instruments, she saved the patient. "Tamaki, you really are incredible! I could learn something from you!" Despite being human, Tamaki's treatment was precise -- Cure admired and wanted to be like that. She longed to have Tamaki's absolute trust. Tamaki thought that part of Cure was cute. Though she was careless, Cure's good point was that she was always optimistic, never getting discouraged even if she failed. Then there was an alert that a new Foreigner was attacking. Tamaki and Cure headed to the battlefield as an emergency measure and immediately Tranced. They faced the raging Foreigner. This time, Cure, hoping to be of use, suggested using her special transparency beam equipment to see through to the Foreigner's weak point. As a mecha nurse, her judgements were snappy. "Please do! Cure!" But Cure activated her transparency beam before targeting the Foreigner, accidentally hitting Tamaki instead. Her pink Trance costume gradually became see-through, exposing Tamaki's naked body. "Cure! Where are you aiming!" "Waaah! I did it again! I-I'm sorry...!" It was a race against time, so despite her shock, Tamaki had to keep fighting as she was dressed. It was like she had gained yet another troublesome little sister... TL comments: *''grumble grumble, why is it that every time I take a break from the story I have to come back to something perverted *''OK first Xiaolin and now Cure are said to be imoutos but can we get some true imouto-neesan interaction with Sena please. *''This seems really short? It's like they cut out another dirty section that was ''supposed to describe Cure and Tamaki's incompatibility. The Do-or-Die Sortie of a War Machine (Tamaki & Sigma) ALCA's salon. In Tamaki's Japanese-style room, there was a colorful 10cm-tall toy robot that didn't fit with the surroundings. Like Cure, he was a Tritomy Foreigner who had been dispatched to help ALCA, Sigma 010. "When will you Trance with me!" "Please, just wait a little longer. I'm busy aiding civilians now." "At this rate, there's no point to having covenanted with Tamaki..." "I promise you. I'll be with you when we fight. ...OK?" Tamaki stuck out her little finger and shook with Sigma's tiny hand. Sigma's original body was the latest model of a bombardment mobile suit equipped with super AI, developed to suppress the enemy with heavy armor and extreme firepower. But since he had not been out long, he had almost no combat experience. Developed to fight, Sigma had more bravery and vigor than any other machine. He believed that the battleground was his place, but he had not yet had the chance to sortie. Sigma was at the limit of his patience. He wanted to accomplish something in battle and get recognition from ALCA... One day, having just returned from relief effort on the battlefront, Tamaki realized that Sigma was not in her room. Sigma had gone on his own to a battlefield that another Logicalist was handling, still in adapted form. Having already reached her Trance Limit, Tamaki had received orders to stay on standby until she could Trance again, but ran toward the battlefront anyway. A fierce battle of offense and defense was unfolding on the battlefield. Sigma was trying to annihilate the Foreigner with his bombardment forte, but only toy rounds fired from his adapted gun battery. Sigma's ready spirit was not rewarded, and the rounds fell to the ground in vain. In time Sigma was caught up in the Foreigner's attack and was in danger of being completely destroyed. Tamaki came running in the nick of time and carefully held the broken Sigma. "Don't be so rash! What if you died!?" "Rash? I don't know what you mean. I was made to fight!" "We promised we'd fight together!" "I've had enough of being a desk toy!" "But... if you die, doesn't it end there...?" That was when a trickle of tears streamed from Tamaki's eyes, soaking Sigma's body. "...You're my precious covenantor... your life is... not your own anymore." Tamaki gently hugged Sigma. "...Sigma, I know you're brave... I depend on you a lot... so... please... promise me you won't do this again..." Sigma felt Tamaki's soul, and heat spread through his body. "I understand... I won't do it again... I'm... sorry..." Tears streamed from Sigma's toy body. Nobody knows if it was because Tamaki's own tears had touched him. "All right! Then I'll fulfill my promise to you." "Promise...?" "Sigma. I want you to lend me your power." Tamaki placed Sigma on her knee. The two of them looked at each other with resolve. "...Trance!" Tranceunion Tamaki descended upon the battlefield clad in Sigma's heavy armor. It goes without saying that the wild battleground was fully suppressed by their combined power. TL comments: *''I can't believe Sigma is actually a toy, that's the greatest thing this game has come up with. (Admittedly, I was hoping he'd be shota, but this is also acceptable). *''Are they really allowed to use the term "mobile suit"? *''But really, why assign Sigma to Tamaki if she's too busy to use him? Piano Lesson (Nina & Emerada) A piano's melody resounded in an ALCA branch. It was the tune of the grand piano that Nina Alexandrovna had brought into the salon. It was Nina's routine to sit at the piano on the mornings of her days off. Pure white skin, silver hair in twintails, and a genteel dress -- she looked like an antique western doll at the piano. Anyone who passed by the salon would be enraptured and sigh upon seeing her. "What a beautiful song." Nina's hands stopped, and she turned around. There stood her covenanter, Emerada Symphony 076. "Emerada, would you like to play?" Nina smiled impishly. "Thank you." Emerada merrily approached the piano and began to press the keyboard with her long white fingers. Emerada was originally an electrical instrument produced on Tritomy. Even when adapted to Septpia, she could still play any instrument. She could play a song that she had only heard once given the sheet music. Her superior technique filled the room with a perfect tune without a single mistake. Once she was finished, Emerada turned to Nina with a satisfied smile on her face. Nina returned the smile, clapping with her small hands. "A wonderful performance..." Nina's large eyes sparkled, wholly fascinated by Emerada's performance. "I'm sure my teacher would want me to play like you, Emerada..." "Teacher?" Emerada asked. "My piano teacher. Whenever I get in a good mood, I tend to ignore the sheet music and start playing on my own..." Nina smiled wryly. Emerada tilted her head in confusion. She could not comprehend the feeling that Nina described when she said "whenever I get in a good mood, I tend to ignore the sheet music". "Nina, could you play again?" Emerada pressed Nina, wanting to see that strange feeling for herself. "Wha... I don't want to play after you, Emerada..." Nina's face turned red from embarrasment, but Emerada kept asking her, so she finally broke down and faced the piano. "When is it that you're in a good mood?" Nina pondered in response. "Take this piece for example. It presents a beautiful scene." "Beautiful scene?" "When the scene spreads before my eyes and I feel like I'm becoming one with it, I feel really good..." Nina began to play the piano again, while Emerada listened in silence. She should have followed the sheet music exactly, but the arrangement gradually began to shift away from the score. But it was by no means a bad arrangement. Emerada realized that Nina's elated feelings were expressed through the music. "See, the gentle breeze drifts through the forest, the songbirds chirp, the waterfowl dance on the lake... don't sights like that come to mind?" Sights like that did not exist on Tritomy, and Emerada had never seen them. But Nina's tune soon made Emerada imagine a world like that. That was a first experience for Emerada. Once Nina's performance ended, Emerada clapped violently. "I thought music was limited to where one is, but I never thought of it like that... music can create entire worlds..." There were tears in Emerada's eyes. It was the first time she had listened to another's performance and felt this way. Nina was surprised for a moment when she saw her, but smiled right away. "Emerada... would you like to play together this time?" A Certain Morning's Sight for Combat Android Salt (Yukari & Salt) A new Gate opened to Septpia. It was a Gate connecting to the parallel world of Tritomy, which had unheard-of developments in science and technology. The intent of the Foreigners coming from Tritomy was investigation and research, and for some it was purely for sightseeing, but there were also some who recklessly used the magic-like technology to do as they pleased. ALCA quickly summoned Logicalists to covenant with friendly Foreigners to counter this. Among them was Yukari Nanahoshi, who had newly covenanted with Tritomy combat android Salt 236... The ALCA Naien branch salon where the Logicalists lived. The person who did all the cleaning, laundry, and other chores here was the Logicalist, Yukari. She had started doing them simply to help until she gained a covenanter, but even now that she had one, Yukari continued to do them of her own will. Today again, Yukari placed the food she had cooked on the table and presented it to her team. "It's one of a Logicalist's duties to make sure they have a balanced diet." As her team members each smacked their lips, there was only one who still had their chopsticks together. It was one of Yukari's new covenantors frrom the parallel world of Tritomy. The former combat android, Salt. When the Gate to the parallel world of unprecedented technology, Tritomy, opened, many Foreigners appeared. The intent of the Foreigners coming from Tritomy was investigation and research, and for some it was purely for sightseeing, but there were also some who recklessly used the magic-like technology to do as they pleased. ALCA quickly requested the cooperation of friendly Foreigners to counter this. Among the Tritomy Foreigners who responded to the request was the combat android, Salt 236, who had been given the mission of defending Septpia. The one who covenanted with Salt was the Naien branch Logicalist, Yukari Nanahoshi. Now that she had adapted to the Logic of Septpia, Salt appeared to be a normal girl at first glance. But she was excessively expressionless, so it was hard to understand what she was thinking when looking at her up close. "Salt-san, is the food not to your liking?" "That is not the case, Yukari." In a humanoid body, Salt did not particularly have any foods she hated. However. "Yukari, I mentioned this before. I have a problem with this nourishment you call 'boiled fish'." "Really? It doesn't taste good? I was rather confident in it though..." "No. I acknowledge the value of the information inputted into me through this organ; the sensor called 'taste' that I have attained when adapted to the Logic of Septpia." "Yup. Did you know this seasoning is the secret ingredient my mother taught me?" "The problem that I have is not with that." "Then what is?" "To consume this nourishment, this must be done." Salt nimbly moved her right hand, extracting thing bones from the boiled fish on her plate and putting them aside. "In order to remove these parts you call bones, I must waste approximately 23 seconds of time." "You've gotten really good at using chopsticks." "There are many weapons harder to handle than these. That is not the problem. My problem is with the number of calories assimilated, in other words, the nourishment replenishing efficiency, per individual unit of time." "Salt, you always eat quickly. Are you chewing enough?" "My digestive organs are not the problem. More importantly." She pointed at a steaming cup of tea on the table. "I have a similar problem with this drink called 'tea'." "I roasted the tea leaves myself, doesn't it have a nice smell?" "True, my sense of smell has an equal value. -- However. Yukari, this container you call a 'plastic bottle' holds a drink of the same type that has already been infused, and is at a temperature at which it can be quickly ingested. Offering that would be a more effective method of hydration." "I have determined that drawing out enough extract from the tea leaves for multiple cups each time places an excessive task on Yukari." "Yes, cold tea is good too. But I think that hot tea is more tasty after a meal!" Salt looked at Yukari again and voiced her question. "Tasty... Yukari, is that parameter really that essential?" "Taste is very important. After all, taste is nourishment for the soul." "Nourishment for the soul..." Salt did not yet understand the value of the incorporeal organ that the humans of Septpia called "soul". She did not know whether she had a "soul" when adapted to the logic of Septpia. But she did understand that Yukari and the others held it dearly. The reason why she was dispatched to Septpia. If that was why she Tranced with Yukari and fought. The organ called the heart began to palpitate faster. She could feel her body temperature rise to an unquantifiable degree. If it is to protect this, I will be her sword of light at any time. Salt reaffirmed her mission again today as she looked at Yukari's smile. ''TL comments: *''Yes, it really does repeat itself with the Tritomy explanation. *''Going with "soul" for "kokoro" here, just because it makes more sense in English. Bird & Hard Strike (Yukari & Arior) Once when Yukari was traveling by helicopter for an ALCA mission, a talking eagle collided with the craft. She risked her life and managed to save him. That eagle was a Foreigner from the cyber world of Tritomy, who had come to Septpia with a specific purpose. He was an all-purpose combat aircraft programmed to hunt down his prey from the skies. The eagle obeyed its programming and returned to the sky, still injured. Yukari was deeply worried for the eagle, and wanted to try persuading him. The eagle soon felt an unknown heat flare inside its body... That day, Yukari was riding on an ALCA helicopter to fill in during a day off rotation at another branch. As she looked out of the helicopter, harboring great expectations for her first mission in a new area as well as some anxiety, she remembered the past when she had Tranced with a Foreigner and freely flown in the skies. Then she noticed a single eagle flying side-by-side with the helicopter. Surprised that the eagle was flying so close as to possibly hit the craft, she unthinkingly opened the door and shouted "It's dangerous!" Even though there was no way the eagle would understand. But Yukari was astonished to hear a response from the eagle who shouldn't have talked. "...System All Yellow... Obstacles to flight path... None..." But the eagle's unsteady flight caused it to hit the craft. He lost consciousness and began to fall. Yukari instantly reached out her hand and caught the eagle, just barely not falling herself. The eagle was treated at a medical facility and regained consciousness -- he was a Tritomy Foreigner, Arior Raptores 015. Arior had heard of the living beings called "eagles" that resembled himself, yet were not machines, and had come to see them. However, he was bewildered by the discrepancy in flight ability that his body had when adapted to the Logic of Septpia. Yukari stopped Arior in his attempt to forcibly fly out of the medical facility while still injured. "...I fly in the sky and hunt my prey. That is why I was made." "It's dangerous in your condition! I've flown too, so I know!" "...I'll worry about that when the time comes. There are several hundred units in my series. There are plenty of substitutes." Arior, all-purpose combat aircraft that he was, had been created on the same production line as countless others. At the development stage, he had been intended and planned as a disposable fighting and hunting machine. "...Arior-san, you have a lot of siblings. I'm the same." Though her family was not as large as Arior's, Yukari had three younger brothers. Her brothers looked like no one else, and their personalities were also varied. "Arior-san, you're the same. Among all your siblings, aren't you the only one who thought of seeing an eagle?" At that moment, Arior's thinking pattern was thrown into disorder. The standardized, rationalist society of Tritomy had no Logic like this. Eventually, Arior learned that Yukari was a Logicalist with the mission to protect cities from some Tritomy Foreigners who would not obey the rules of Septpia. "There are persons in trouble coming from Tritomy now. Would you help me persuade them? In exchange, I'll help you look for a real eagle!" Arior felt an unknown heat rise in his body. He did not know whether it was because of his minor collision or because he had met Yukari, but something inside him had begun to change. I want to live -- not as a disposable all-purpose weapon, but as an irreplaceable individual. The unknown heat that Arior felt was a concept that did not exist on Tritomy -- that of "soul". TL comments: *''Arior uses "this machine" to refer to himself. But for ease of reading/tl laziness it's just rendered as the usual "I" here. *''This is weirdly written too? The sentence structure is the same as usual, but the flow is really bumpy. Drawn to Spice (Mejiko & Larve) The savory smell of spice. The moment she inhaled it, Mejiko Touma's anxieties disappeared altogether. No matter how much she liked curry, Mejiko wasn't the kind of person to line up at popular restaurants. She disliked seeing the crowds of people all lined up, chattering with their friends. But when she saw this curry restaurant featured on TV last night, Mejiko forgot all about her reluctances. The muddled curry was made with several kinds of strong spices mixed in and cooked so well that there was no difference between vegetable and meat. It was truly right up Mejiko's alley. "It looks like there's an hour of wait time," said Mejiko's covenantor, Larve Insect 012. Mejiko told him he didn't have to come, but he brought himself along. Because of their covenant, Larve called Mejiko "Master", and constantly followed and surveilled her as if he were a butler or special police. Mejiko sometimes found Larve irritating, but didn't object to him strongly. This is what happened 30 minutes after the two of them lined up. The young woman in front of Mejiko, about college age, cheerfully called out "Ah! Over here!" Several young women who appeared to be her friends came running over with bright smiles on their faces. Inconceivably enough, these women cut in line. All five of them! At that moment, Mejiko's anger switched on. Mejiko had waited in line for 30 minutes despite her dislike of them, and once she had at last reached the halfway point, some women went in front of her right before her eyes, without an ounce of effort. She couldn't forgive that. But even so, Mejiko couldn't directly confront the girls. All she could do was whisper curses upon the girls that nobody could hear. Anything's fine... anything's fine, just bring misfortune to these people... And her wish came true. Right before the women were about to enter the shop, the restaurant ran out of curry sauce and had to close up for the day. The young women groaned. Mejiko watched them and grinned. But at the same time, she realized something important -- if they were sold out, she couldn't eat the curry either! What had been the point of putting up with a line for an hour... Mejiko kneeled by the road dejectedly. It was Larve who offered his hand to Mejiko. "It's too early to give up. There's still another way!" Larve had anticipated this and looked into the location of the second location of this popular curry restaurant. It was on the top floor of a skyscraper several kilometers from where they were. But there was one problem. The second shop would also be closing in just a few minutes. "...That sounds like an impossible game to play." Mejiko sighed with full pessimism, and was about to drag herself home. But Larve didn't seem to have given up at all. Mejiko finally gave into Larve's insistence and agreed to Trance. Set in the middle of a bombastic machine as she changed into Tranceunion form, Mejiko gave a melancholy sigh. To be frank, Mejiko didn't like this form. "...What are you trying to do by Trancing? Get it done already." "It'll be done soon. I'll definitely let you eat curry..." Mejiko had a bad feeling as soon as she heard that. Whenever Larve had a mission in mind, he had a habit of running amok. Mejiko's feeling hit the mark -- her body crossed over streets and towers at incredible speed, heading straight for the skyscraper. The next thing she knew, Mejiko was crawling up the skyscraper's walls like a spider. But of course, when they reached the curry shop, Mejiko had fainted from her phobia of heights. TL comments: *Someone's getting passive aggressive about waiting in line. *''How's she supposed to get into the curry place anyway? I don't think there would be any windows big enough for that Tranceunion.'' The Crossed Line (Olga & Gin'ei) Olga had no doubt that he was the greatest Logicalist. There was but one individual cooperating with ALCA who would be most appropriate covenantor for him. That would be the handsome, clean-cut young man wearing an ALCA uniform: the Disfia god of war, Gin'ei. "Why are you helping ALCA?" "I have no interest in keeping the peace of Septpia. My motive is simply to defeat Koubu and reign supreme. This is but a piece of my training towards this cause." Koubu was the archenemy of Gin'ei, who he had crossed swords with numerous times in Disfia's earth realm. "...Ku ku ku. I'm not interested in your obsession, but..." Olga caught a glance of the back of his left hand, and Lucifer's crest came to mind -- and disappeared. "My logic is that humans and deities should coexist... I'll grant that wish of yours, if you covenant with me!" "I decline. This is a match between Koubu and myself. Mind your own business." "...You've got guts. Ku ku ku, haaah ha ha hah!!!" Olga forcibly concealed his disappointment at having been refused. But Olga had a trump card. He could hear his logic telling him the best way for men to deepen their bonds. ALCA's salon. Once he saw Gin'ei enter the bathroom, Olga steeled himself. He took off his own clothes and opened the door to the bathroom where the shower's sound echoed. All so they could have some skin time as fellow men. "I'm coming in." However, a surprising sight lay before Olga's eyes. Though he couldn't see all because of the steam from the shower, Gin'ei's beautiful bare body showed that he was not a man. "Y-You cretin, why are you...!" Olga, his expression stiff, closed the door without a word. After getting out of the bath, Gin'ei called Olga to a deserted location. "...Your previous folly... was extremely rude towards me." "...I can hear my logic. The reason why a woman like you would disguise as a man is to succeed your family." Gin'ei, born in a military family without sons, was determined to live as a man so she could walk the path of a warrior. "...If that's the reason why you denied a covenant with me, then I can understand. I'll have to give up on covenanting with you." "That would be problematic." Gin'ei's unexpected statement bewildered Olga. Gin'ei had an old-fashioned spirit. Nobody had seen her nude before, so she believed she had to be bound to Olga. Gin'ei's dampened cheeks became red as she thrust her sword at Olga's throat. "...Covenant... with me. That's... your responsibility." Olga was confused, but nodded his head yes. Their electrifying covenant was truly unexpected... TL comments: *''I'd like to both sincerely and sarcastically thank whoever's writing these segments. On one hand, Olga's even gayer than before. At the same time, just seeing a nude chick does not make her beholden to you. *''I'd also like to thank pixiv users Settsun and Marimo for providing /exactly/ the content I was hoping to find upon my decision to look through the LuciOl tag. m(_ _)m Resonating Dissonance (Olga & Koubu) "...Kukuku, haaa ha ha hah!" "...Kukuku, gaaa ha ha hah!" That day, the strange laughs of two men echoed in ALCA. One was the loud laugh of the Logicalist Olga, who the ALCA members were already used to ignoring. The other hearty laugh belonged to the Disfia war hero Koubu, who had his arm on Olga's shoulders. The was a rare sight to see Olga getting along with someone despite his incredible conceit. There was a reason why they hit it off so well... Koubu saw Gin'ei as his rival for the throne of supreme ruler, and one day came to Septpia and trance jacked a civilian, looking to challenge Gin'ei to a rematch. Olga and Gin'ei Tranced and defeated Koubu. This is what Olga told Koubu as he tasted the bitterness of defeat: "...I can hear my Logic. The outcome of this battle is... invalid!" There was no point if Koubu and Gin'ei were not fighting under the same conditions. In response to Olga's sportsmanlike declaration, Koubu resolved to graciously surrender. "It looks like it's time for our second round." This time, as Olga's covenantors, Koubu and Gin'ei were battling to prove which of them was more suitable to him. "...Oh, I see. A competition for me sounds worthy." ALCA quickly regretted accepting the covenant of these two. Whenever they had free time, Olga and Koubu would demonstrate their logic in manly displays. On this particular day, rowdy sounds echoed from the bathroom in ALCA's salon. "A path isn't something one looks for. It's something you create yourself!" "There is no path before my eyes! My footsteps will become the path!" "I was not born into the era. I gave rise to this era!" "If the era goes against me, I will destroy the era and reform it with my won hands!" "...Kukuku, haaa ha ha hah!" "...Kukuku, gaaa ha ha hah!" Then reports of a Foreigner attack came in. Olga and Koubu's expressions turned about instantly, and they sortied. The two of them were usually jovial, but they switched over quickly when it came time to fight. Olga and Koubu, arriving at the scene, confronted the raging Foreigner. "Koubu, let me ask you.... what does battle mean to you?" "A foolish question. I am a war hero. It is to prove that my army is the strongest in all of Disfia. For that, I'll gain the throne of supreme ruler!" "...Can you catch up? To where I, Septpia's greatest Logicalist am, that is." "Bring it on." Olga and Koubu put their fists against each other's. "Trance!" Clad in crimson armor, Tranceunion Olga didn't give the Foreigner a chance to counterattack or run. His attacks were as fierce as a war hero's. Afterward, the Foreigner captured by Olga in that battle said this: It was hardly the power of a single Logicalist. It was like I was fighting an entire army... TL comments: *''I'm honestly not sure whether Koubu and Gin'ei are deities or mortals. So take "war hero" with a grain of salt, because the alternate TL is "god of war" (but Koubu's and Gin'ei's are spelled differently). Enki's Abnormal Affection (Ashley & Enki) Indulging in reading in the salon as she usually did, Ashley was suddenly overshadowed. When she looked up, she saw the smile of her covenantor, Enki. "You have free time now?" Enki veered in towards Ashley's face. Though embarrassed by Enki's swelling breasts, she nodded slightly. Enki's smile grew wider. "Really? I'm so happy! Then come to our room. Ten minutes. I'll be waiting." Once she had seen Enki leave the room with a light step, Ashley's eyes shifted back to her book. However, the words didn't even enter her mind. Ashley's head was filled with unpleasant premonitions. Just what is Enki planning!? Ashley and Enki had only just met. They hadn't Tranced yet. However, Ashley felt that somehow, this was not the covenantor she desired. On the other hand, Enki simply buried Ashley with affection, disregarding Ashley's sheepish reactions. Seeing as Ashley was a fantasy fan, Enki was convinced that an "ogre" would also fall into her realm of interest, and could not contain her joy. While Ashley was apprehensive, she closed her book after ten minutes had passed and started to walk to Enki's and her own room. Once she was in front of it, she nervously knocked on the door. "Ashley? Come on in." Upon hearing Enki's jovial voice from inside, Ashley took a deep breath, turned the knob, and opened the door. "Welcome back." As soon as she entered the room, Enki took Ashley and held her in a princess carry. Ashley looked around the room, dumbfounded. What is this!? This room was--! It was a perfectly normal room this morning! The walls were vermillion, and scattered paper lanterns dimly lit the room. It looked more like a room in a red light district than a room in an ALCA facility. While Ashley was engrossed in her reading, apparently Enki had gone ahead and redone the place. "What are you going to do now!?" Ashley exclaimed shrilly in surprise. "I founf a cute kimono in town. I thought it'd become you, Ashley." "I couldn't! It's vulgar! And embarrassing!" But Ashley's objections were futile in the face of Enki's incredible strength. Her clothes were off in the blink of an eye, and she was skillfully put into a kimono. "All right, let's play dress up." Enki didn't notice Ashley's disagreement, and was even humming. Ashley gave in and let herself be taken by the flow. The next thing she realized, there she was standing in front of the mirror, dressed as a bewitching courtesan. The collar was wide open, excessively exposing her chest. Ashley's face, bright red from embarrassment, looked down. "Well aren't you cute. Cute enough to do my job with me..." You want me to go that far!? Ashley's eyes popped as she looked up at Enki. But Enki closed her eyes partly, with a happy expression Ashley had never seen her wear. "I'm really happy to covenant with a girl who loves ogres like you, Ashley..." Ashley couldn't say a thing as she looked at Enki. I wouldn't stand it outside, but in this room... Ashley told herself, and smiled softly at Enki. "You made this room so pretty, so it'd be a waste to go outside. Could you tell me a story from when you were in Disfia?" "All right. I've got a special one for you. So..." Enki's eyes sparkled as she began to speak, and Ashley listened to her with a smile on her face. ''TL comments: *''WHY ME. WHY ME. WHY *''remember people, consent is paramount *''Why is Enki even in Septpia?? *''Enki talks in Kansai-ben, but I don't want to spend any more time than is absolutely necessary on this. Guided by the Stars (Mana & Sei) That day, two girls were walking downtown hand in hand. "Come on, hurry up~! You're with me the entire day!" "...H-Hold on." The two of them were the Logicalist Mana Asuha and her new contractor, the Disfia priestess Sei, who were using their day off from ALCA to go shopping. At a young age, Sei had been caught up in a certain case and was separated from her parents and childhood friend, instead being raised by youkai. Sei had come to Septpia because she had heard her childhood friend Mei was there and wanted to meet her again. Eventually Mei learned that Mana was a Logicalist, and the three of them worked together as ALCA members. While shopping, Sei found a clothes shop that made western clothes out of kimono material. Full of curiosity, Sei enjoyed looking at Septpia's western clothes, the likes of which she had never seen before. On the other hand, Mana did not care for fashion and was simply confused by the unfamiliar clothes shop. "Then I'll pick some clothes that will suit you, Mana!" After some experimenting, Sei picked a shirt and miniskirt that had been made out of vermillion kimono material. "...No... I've never worn anything like this." "That's not true. When you're Traced with me, don't you wear a similar outfit?" Sei pushed Mana into the dressing room, closing her up with the clothes she had picked, and pulled the curtain. But no matter how long she waited, how many times she called out, Mana would not come out from the dresssing room. After waiting a while, Sei calculated the right moment and opened the curtain. There was Mana, wearing the vermillion shirt and miniskirt. Her thighs were pressed together, and she was fidgeting in embarrassment. "Not bad! You're super cute, Mana!" "...Really... No." Mana forced the curtain shut, and clutched her hand to her heart as she tried to stop it from beating so unusually fast. After taking many deep breaths, Mana took off the western clothes she had tried on and started to put on her usual clothes. Then, she heard Sei's voice on the other side of the curtain. "...Thank you so much. Mana, if you hadn't been with me... I wouldn't have been able to save Mei then." Mana's expression changed upon hearing her suddenly speak. "...But because of that, you were..." "It's all right. It's what I wanted." As the result of a "certain decision", she had lost the logic card that governed her priestess abilities. "Mana... you're a very important person to me. That's why I want to keep making you happier." Mana's heart beat fast. "Because... Mana's happiness is my happiness." Mana could feel Sei's love enveloping her, and clutched the vermillion miniskirt she had removed to her chest. Mana didn't know how she could respond to this love. But she knew what she had to do for this love. Mana poked her head out of the curtain and gave a narrow smile. It goes without saying that Mana's best smile brought happiness to Sei... The Determination of Girls (Mana & Mei) "...Mana. I'm leaving Sei to you," said the Disfia assassin, Mei, as she silently left ALCA. In her eyes was a resignation to die. In the past, Mei was separated from Sei in a certain incident and was taken in by a Disfia assassination group. She spent her days undergoing training that would crush her spirit so she could carry out her mission without fail. For a mission, Mei eventually came to Septpia,covenanted with Mana to gain information about her target, and miraculously reunited with her childhood friend, Sei. Living with Mana and Sei breathed life once more into Mei's spirit after years of killing, and she was slowly regaining the time she had lost. But those days of happiness did not last long. The organization had sent a large number of assassins to kill Sei. Mei learned -- the assassination target she had been given was a dummy, and it was all a trap to lead Sei to Septpia. The organization feared Sei's power as a divine priestess, and planned to kill her in Septpia where she could not use her original power... Mei's mind was made up -- to protect Sei, even at the cost of killing other assassins. Mei stood alone facing a large force of assassins and fought with her life on the line. But then who appeared but Mana, Tranced with Sei. They had learned everything and were ready to fight to protect Mei. But they were no match against such a robust force of assassins, using up almost all of their Logic. Then an assassin took Mei hostage, demanding that Mana release the Trance and let Sei be killed. If Sei wasn't killed, Mei would die. But Mana couldn't choose between the two of them. "Get back, Mana... at this rate, all three of us will die." "...No... I'm bringing you back, Mei." It didn't even cross Mana's mind to sacrifice Mei and run. Then Sei made up her mind and suddenly released her Trance with Mana. Mana couldn't hide her surprise. Sei was determined to protect Mana and Mei. She proposed to the organization that in exchange for her death, Mana and Mei would be saved. THe organization's only aim was Sei's life. They accepted Sei's proposal. "Stop... There's no reason to live in a world without you, Sei... I don't want... to be left all alone." "Mei... I feel the same. But there's no other way... please." Both of them wanted to save each other -- Mei and Sei's wishes stood in opposition. Mei grasped the accessory on her hip. Sei also grasped the accessory on the right side of her head. They were the matching accessories the two of them had worn since they were little. The two decorations symbolizing Sei and Mei. That neither of them would be lost, always together-- that was the intent behind them. Then Mana whispered. "...No... I'm bringing you both back... Mei... Sei..." Mana wouldn't accept either Mei or Sei's ideas. Mei shouted, "Mana! Take Sei and run! That's my one wish!" Sei shouted, "Mana! Live together with Mei! Your happiness is my happiness!" But Mana wouldn't listen to either of them. Mana could absolutely not accept Mei and Sei being separated again after being reunited after so many years of being apart. For Mei and Sei to live together -- that was Mana's one wish. Mana stepped toward Sei and whispered into her ear. "...There is one way." Mana told Sei her decision in a voice only the two of them could hear. Sei had no words. But at the same time, she instantly realized that it was the only option. Mana contacted ALCA and proposed a plan. The chief's permission came in. Indeed, the decision that Mana and Sei had reached was... "...Overtrance!" The match was over in an instant. The assassins were annihilated at the speed of starlight, and Mei was saved... Mana and Sei's Logic Cards were scattered by the Overtrance. But Sei used her divine priestess powers to prevent Mana's Logic Cards from scattering. Mana looked at Sei in bewilderment, and Sei smiled back without a word. Mei knew. No matter how cruel destiny is, it can be changed by strong willpower. A guiding ray of hope shone out to Mei, who had lived in darkness... Runaway Girl Giselle (Giselle & Yakusa) Several months had passed since Giselle Sanders was placed at ALCA's Kyoto branch. Sena Yurine, who had been placed in charge of her training, was fed up with Giselle's lack of awareness as a Logicalist. "Forget about your 'local idol' days already!" Though she usually replied with a dismissive "yeah, yeah", the phrase "local idol" incurred Giselle's wrath. "Local idol...? I was almost a national idol before you guys made me quit, you know!?" From there developed an ugly exchange of insults not fit to be written here, and their training for the day was overtaken by their fight. After that, filled with uncontrollable anger, Giselle decided to escape the facility. Giselle was to be confined to a room in the Kyoto branch during her training period, but by using her skillful words and cajoling one staff member at a time, she was at last able to get outside. But it was a deadlock from there. Not only was the zone an unfamiliar area, but as ALCA took charge of her personal effects until her training was over, Giselle didn't have money. She lost her way in no time at all. Giselle rocked on a swing in a park several kilometers, at a loss. "So here you are," she heard a gentle voice. When she looked up, she saw the smile of her covenantor, Yakusa. "...I'm not going back." Giselle shot back coldly. Yakusa kept smiling. Ever since he had become Giselle's covenantor, Yakusa was almost like her own obedient butler. Even now, Yakusa kneeled in front of Giselle and extended his hand. "Since you're at last outside, let me show you around this area. I'm sure you're still unfamiliar with this area, Giselle." Yakusa's kind words touched Giselle, but her attitude about it was not honest. "...Do what you want," she said bluntly, getting off the swing. And so Yakusa's tour of Kyoto began. "That's the closest convenience store to the Kyoto branch." "I see." "The god worshipped at that shrine is a friend of mine from when I was in Disfia." "I didn't know." "There are a lot of cats around here. I give them food sometimes." "I prefer dogs." Giselle's attitude remained curt through Yakusa's tour, but at some point Yakusa heard a light-hearted melody. Giselle was humming. She was enjoying herself after all-- once he realized that, Yakusa smiled without thinking. When they returned to the Kyoto branch, a worried Sena was waiting. She intended to scold Giselle for going out on her own, but she lost the heart when she saw Yakusa come back with her. Giselle was sleeping like a child on Yakusa's back. "...Sorry to have her use you too, Yakusa." Sena sighed, but with gratitude. "Not at all. She is my covenantor, after all." Yakusa smiled and entered the facility. Then he heard Giselle murmur, "Thank you..." When he looked, Giselle's eyes were still closed. Yakusa did not know whether that was sleep-talk or said while awake. Category:Blog posts